Farrakhan Blasts Obama And Romney In Address in Charlotte

October 16, 2012

On October 14, Nation of Islam (NOI) leader Louis Far­rakhan delivered the keynote address at 2012 Holy Day of Atonement event in Charlotte, North Carolina. In addition to harshly criticizing President Barack Obama, Governor Mitt Romney and both political parties, Farrakhan advanced theories of undue Israel influence in the American political system.

Farrakhan blasted both candidates for what he characterized as answering to Israeli interests over those of America:

"Mr. Romney, he already went to Israel and bowed down. He went to Israel and wore out his knees, got a patch on his knees. He told Israel and his dear friend Netanyahu: We’re not going to let Iran get a nuclear bomb... Obama, he almost wore out his knees too. I mean he may not have a patch on his knee, but he was down there long enough to rub a little something in that knee. He told Israel, AIPAC, he told them, even though we’re in an economic downtown, don’t you worry because the money we’ve been giving to you, we’re going to give it to you again and add some more to it. If that ain’t deep knee bending, now I’m not making stuff up! We’re in bad shape brother!"

As Farrakhan often does, he also questioned the claim that he laces his sermons with anti-Semitic imagery and allegations of Jewish conspiracies. He describes how in 1984 when Rev. Jesse Jackson ran for the Democratic nominee for president, Farrakhan stood up to the Jewish community who “were trying to sidetrack and destroy his bid for the presidency of the United States.”

He later paused for a standing ovation from his audience before adding, “So you have financiers like the oil tycoon Koch brothers, casino owner Sheldon Adelson who have invested tens or hundreds of millions of dollars to buy elections and buy the person who gets elected.”

Farrakhan also criticized the Republican Party for what he views as its “overtly hateful and racist nature.” He asks his audience “What is it that has blinded Republicans? It is race, the image of the Black man rising!” He also vows to fight the “schemes or machinations of our former slave masters” that are part of “a racist system that wants to keep America white.” He claims Romney has no platform and is just a “cheerleader” whose platform is “Sis boom bah, rah rah rah! Come on white team! Let’s get that negro out of office!”

This year’s annual “Holy Day of Atonement” event, which commemorates the 17th anniversary of the NOI’s Million Man March (MMM) in Washington, DC, was attended by approximately 6,000 people.